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After Marathon Bombings, Music to Stir the Heroic Spirit

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Paramedics at the Boston Marathon rush to aid an injured spectator.
(Getty)

Last week was a tough one. Amidst the horrifying scenes following the bombings of the Boston Marathon, also came images of truly heroic acts, from bystanders to paramedics and law enforcement officers to the runners themselves.

This week's Showdown offered three works that convey the heroic spirit through music.

You chose Beethoven's Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, Op. 55 "Eroica" performed by the Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig with conductor Kurt Masur. We played it at noon.

If I had voted, I would have voted for the Eroica. Not only do I love Beethoven, but the funeral march second movement is absolutely appropriate for memorializing those killed by the bombers. The following movements provide a sense of solace and resurgence. Just what we need in sad and somber times such as this.

I choose Ein Heldenleben. A beautiful, powerful piece which most directly paints a portrait of a heroism. Especially since it's a piece closest to our time, it is a fitting tribute to the heroism of the Marathon heroes.

I listened to all three of your samples, and heard three different kinds of heroes. The Dvorak seemed more nationalistic than human, the Strauss sounded like a movie hero, the Beethoven sounded completely genuine and humanistic. No surprise I vote for the Eroica. Thanks for another timely and fun contest.

Very hard choice for me to make. Chose the Eroica because the very first LP sampler had this piece. It impressed a very young teenager very much. For one dollar there was something like ten pieces of music, Fingals Cave,etc.

The Eroica is terrific, but I'd like to hear the Dvorak, a piece seldom played. Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man would have been another excellent choice, as ordinary people at the marathon saved lives in a heroic way as the community came together to help one another.

Thanks for the music. It's worth restating the words of Mister Fred Rogers again in this place. In times of sorrow and tragedy...."look for the helpers". There were lots of helpers in Boston last week and there are lots of helpers in other tragic and ordinary places. This music salutes all those hero helpers even if we don't know their names.